Sewing machine



March 2 1926.

A. B. FOWLER SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 29, 1919 Sheets-Sheet 1 (IIIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIllI March 2, 1926.

A. B. FOWLER SEWING MACHINE Original File 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WBN - March 2 1926.

A. B. FO'WLER SEWING MACHINE Original Filed D9629, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 W mi,

March 2 1926.

A. B. FOWLER SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 29, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES! PATENT \QFFICE'. I

ALFRED B. FOWLER, 0F BEVERLY, MASSAKJI-IUEsIE'I fIS', ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PAT-ERSDN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING MACHINE-i Application filed December 2%, .919, Seri l No, 3 8ml. R d July 30, 1925-.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B- Foviinn, a, citizen of the United States, residing teverly, in the county of Essex and State oi Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing Ma chines; and Ido hereby declare the tollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventiorn, such aswill enable others skilled in the art; to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sewing mach nes and more particularly to curved hook needle sewing machines employed for sewing to gether the soles and uppers of shoes, The

present embodiment of the invention is designed especially to sew together the soles and r ppers of turned shoes although, Wltll slight changes, it may (be employed tor sewing the inseains of welted shoes,

sewing machines of this class are commonly provided with an awl or teed point that engages the between substancev of the shoe sole inside of the channel and at one side of the channel guide. With such relative arrangement oi the feed point and channel guide, considerable difiiculty has been experienced in-sew-ingnboutthe toe of pointed toe shoe, Accordingly, t has been proposed to arrange the feed point so. that it will engage-the top of; the between sub stance, thereby permitting: the feed point to be operated; across the end of the channel guide, As heretofore I operated, however, the pressure of the feed point on the shoe is n-ia-intained' after the needle is retracted andthe work llOltliDg devices of the machine are released i which is objectionable, as; it has been found that the pressure of the feed point on; the work at this time tends to force the shoe downwardly out of proper position relatively to the needle. Moreover, the feed point has heretofore been arranged tov engagethe center of the between substance with the result that it is liable to strike the lasting tacks and to injure-thebetwcen substance; materially which, of course, isalso objectionable.

One of the objects of the presentinvention is to provide an inseam shoe sewing machinein which the feed point, althoi-igh enga-gi-ng'thetop of the between substance, is

low toed shoe.

urranged and actuated in; such manner as to overcome the disadvantages of both of the prior constructions above described while retaining all of the advantages. V \Yith this and other objects ii -view, a feature of the present invention contemplates theprovision in a sewing machine of a feed pointactuating mechanism acting to force the feed point into the work, then to relieve the pressure of the feed point on the work and then while the pressure of the feed point on the work is relieved to actuate the feed pointto feed the work. This feature of the invention is particularly applicable to an inseam shoe sewing machine in which the feed point is arranged to engage the shoe at the top of the between substance of thesole, as the relieving of the pressure of the feed point overcomes any tendency of the work being forced downwardly by the feed point when the needle is retracted and the work holding devices of the machine are released. In connection with this feed point achan-E nel guide is preferably employed that is maintained stationary in the direction of feed in close proximity to the, root of the channel during the feeding operation. Preferably the feed point engages the be tween substance in the plane of the root of the channel or in the line of connection of the channel flap andbetween substance so that, the body 01% the between snbstancewilll not be weakened or mutilated by the feed point and there is no danger of the feed point striking a lasting tack. Also this an r angenient of the feed point brings it as close as possible to the channel guide and thereby permits the sharp turning movement necessary insewing around, the toe of a, nar- In the preferred embodiment of the invention the channel guide has no. movement longitudinally ofthe channel during the operation Of the machine but is movable transversely of the channeh Preforably, however, the transverse movement of I the channel guide is only surlicicnt to relieve the pressure thereof on the work during the {ced ng operation so that the work may be freely fed and so, as to obviate any danger of the feed point striking the channel guide, while during the work piercing and loop drawing strokes: oi the needle the channel guide cooperates with other work holding devices of the machine to hold the work firmly.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure, in an inseam shoe sewing machine provided with thread severing and holding devices, that the first stitch will be formed during the first cycle of operations of the machine.

Vith this object in View, a feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a sewing machine having a thread finger, a looper, and means acting automatically upon stopping the machine to sever and hold the thread, of actuating mechanism for the thread finger acting to position the thread finger so that when the machine is again started the thread finger will at once properly engage the thread and effectively assist in the formation of a stitch during the first cycle of operations of the machine. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the thread engaging end of the thread finger s curved upwardly and when the machine 1s stopped is positioned close to the stretch of thread leading from the looper to the thread severing and holding mechanism.

Other features of the invention comprise certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The several features of the invention will be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the head of an inseam shoe sewing machine embodying the features of the invention in their preferred form; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view partly diagrammatical showing the relative arrangement of the neeedle, looper, thread finger and thread cutting and holding device when the machine is in stopping position; Fig. 3 is a right s de elevation, partly in section and with parts broken away, of the portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of the head of the machine; and Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, showing respectively the relative arrangement of the feed point, channel guide and needle immediately after the feed point engages the work, and the relative arrangement of these parts after the feed point has left the work at the completion of the feeding operation.

The machine as illustrated in the drawings is provided with a curved hook needle 2, a thread finger 4, a looper 6, a thread truck 8, a back gage 10, a back rest or hunter 12 and a thread severing and holding device 14, all

of which parts have the same general arrangement and mode of operation, except as hereinafter described, as the corresponding parts of the machine illustrated and described in applicants copending application Serial No. 298,589, filed May 21, 1919.

The needle 2 is secured in the usual manner to a pivotally mounted needle segment- 16 which is connected by a link 18 to a cam actuated lever 20.

The thread severing and holding device of the machine is timed to operate so as to cut off the thread during the last cycle of opera tions of the stitch forming devices of the machine and to hold the end of the thread leading to the supply until the machine is again set into operation. WVhen the machine is again set into operation, the thread severing and gripping jaws of the device are at once advanced to give up thread to the thread finger. The thread is held by the thread gripping jaws during the formation of the first stitch and during the first'work piercing stroke of the needle. The mechanism for thus actuating the thread severing and holdin device may be and preferably is the same as illustrated and described in Said co-pending application, which mecha rism is thrown into operation by the raising of a control rod 21.

In the illustrated machine the thread finger 4 is of such shape and is so positioned relatively to the thread being held by the thread severing and holding device when the machine is stopped as to insure that the thread finger will properly engage the thread at the start of the next cycle of operations of the machine. With this in view, the extreme end of the thread finger is curved upwardly as illustrated in the drawings and is positioned close to the thread leading from the looper to the thread gripping aws when the machine is stopped so that upon starting the machine the end of the thread finger will at once properly engage the thread to assist in forming a stitch during the first cycle of operations. The thread finger is secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 22, the upper end of which shaft is secured to a gear 2% that meshes with rack teeth 26 formed on the forward end of a horizontally sliding bar 28. The bar 28 is actuated to impart the desired movement to the thread finger by means of a roll 30 on the rear end of the bar which en ages a cam groove 32 in an oscillating lever 34. The lever 34L is pivoted at 36 on the frame of the machine and is connected by a link 38 with the cam actuated lever 20.

The back rest or bunter 12 is mounted upon a forwardly spring pressed slide 40. The back gage 10 is formed on the forward end of a back gage carrier 44 which is connected by a link 46 with the back gage locking slide 42, one end of the link being pivoted upon a stud 4.8 secured to the carrier 44 and its other end being pivoted on a stud secured to the slide The back gage carrier is guided by means of apin 50 secured to the frame of the machine which extends through a horizontal slot in the carrier. The free end of an arm 52 is also pivoted upen the stud 4-8, which arm is secured to a rock shaft 54. An arm 56 is pivoted upon the rock shaft 5d and is connected to the arm by a torsion spring 58 which is relatively under no tension. During the work piercing stroke of the needle the back page is caused to engage the work lightly and is thenpressed against the work under increasing pressure by means of a stud 60 on the needle actuating link 18 which engages the arm 56 and through the torsion spring 58 and arm 52 thus actuates the back gage. The back gage and back rest are locked in engagement with thework at the limit of; this stroke of the needle and until the needle returns to the limit of its loop draw- .ing stroke. The mechanism above described for actuating the back gage and back rest may be and preferably is the same as illustrated and'described in said co-pending appli'ca'tion.

In order that the back gage may not interfere with the feeding of the work, means are provided for retracting the back gage after the needle has reached the limit of its loopdrawing movement. This is accom plished in the machine illustrated in the drawings by means of a coil spring 62 arranged to act in the direction of the 11lovement ofthe back gage, having one end secured to the stud which forms the pivotal connection between the link 41-6 and the looking slide 42 and its other end secured to the frame of the machine. hen the back gage is unlocked at the limit of the loop drawing stroke of the. needle, the spring 62 will act to retract the back gage. As the torsion spring 58 is under 'no tension at this time, it will not interfere with this action of the coil spring 62, and also as the strength of the coil spring is considerably less than that of the torsion spring 58, the coil spring will not interfere with the action of the torsion spring in advancing the back gage during the work piercing stroke of the needle.

The illustrated. machine is provided with a channel guide (ii which is in'imovable longitudinally of the channel and, except when the work is being fed, firmly engages the root of the channelto cooperate with the hack gage and bunter in holding the work. During the feeding of the work, the channel gfauide is retracted slightly to ensure that the feed point hereinafter described will clear the 'elmnnel guide and to relieve the pressure of the channel guide on the root of the channel but is still maintained in close proximity to the root of the channel in order to guide the work effectively. The channel guide is thus'a'ctuated by means of a cam and spring actuatedlever 66-68 to one arm 66 of which the channel guide is secured. The lever 66 68 is pivotally mounted upon a horizontal shaft or rod 70 secured to the frame of the machine and is held from movement longitudin-ally of the red by means of collars 72 on the rod engaging the ends of the hub 74 of the lever. The lever 6668 is actuated through a cam roll 76 mounted on the arm 68 of the lever which engages a cam surface on a cam disk 7 8 carried by the main shaft 80 of the machine. The cam roll is maintained in contact with the cam surface by a spring connected to the rear end of the lever as illustrated in Fig. In order that the channel guide may act effectively on different styles and sizes of shoes, the channel guide has provision for vertical, transverse and longitudinal adjustments relatively to the channel of the shoe sole. In order to provide for vertical adjustment of the channel guide, the shank of the guide is adjust ably secured in a vertical clamp 82 formed in the end of the arm (56. In order to adjust the channel guide transversely of the channel, the arm is a'djustably connected with the arm 68 oi the cam lever. To this end a split collar 86 is formed on the upper end of the arm 68, which collar embraces the hub 74 formed on the arm 68 and is capable of being rotated on the hub 74 to ad just the channel guide transversely, and is capable of being moved longitudinally of the hub to adjust the channel guide longitudinally of the channel, the arm 66 being held in adjusted position by'm'eans of a clamping screw 88 engaging ears formed on the ends of the split collar 86.

The illustrated machine is provided with a feed point 90 which engages the top of the between substance of the shoe sole directly above the root of the channel and has its path of movement across the end of the channel guide. 'lVith this arrangement of the feed point it will be seen that the work ma be turned about the feed point as desired without interference from the channel guide during the feeding operation so tha the toeot the most extremely pointed toe shoe may be properly fed and sewed by the machine without difiicul'ty, the channel guide having a relatively small end that engages the root of the channel as hereinbefore de' scribed. Th feed point is forced into the work while the work is being held by the needle, the channel guide, the back gage and hunter, and in order that the feed point may not tend to force the work downwardly when the needle is disengaged from the work and during the feeding operation, there is provision for relieving the pressure of the feed point on the work before the needle leaves the work. At the end of the feeding operation the feed point is raised above the work and is then returned into position to again engage the work. The feed point is secured to an arm 92 which in turn is secured to a rock shaft 94 mounted in a hear ing in the lower end of a vertical hanger 96. In order to adjustthe feed point transwerseli, of the between substance, the feed point is adjustable longitudinally of the arm 92, and in order to adjust the vertical position of the feed point, the arm 92 is rotatably adjustable on the rock shaft 94. The feed point is actuated to feed the work by means of a slide 98 on which the hanger 96 is formed. The slide 98 is mounted on the shaft and is actuated by means of a cam actuated lever 100-102 fulcrumed on a vertical stud 104. A cam roll 106 is mounted on the end of the arm 102 of the lever which engages a cam groove in the periphery of the cam disk 7 8. The lever 100102 is connected to the slide 98 through a sliding block 107 pivotally connected to the arm 100 of the lever which engages a horizontal groove 108 in the upper end of the slide 98. In order to vary the length of the feeding movement of the feed point, the block 107 is adjustable longitudinally of the arm 100. To this end the block is connected to the arm 100 by means of a stud 109 engaging a pivot socket in the block 107 which stud is provided with a shoulder 111 engaging the under side of the arm 100 and extends through an elongated slot 110 in the end of the arm. The stud 109 is held in adjusted position in the slot by means of a nut 112 threaded upon the upper end thereof. The slide 98 is held from rotary movement on the shaft 70 by means of a horizontal lug 114 projecting from the upper portion of the slide which lug is in sliding engagement with a pair of lugs projecting from the hub of the lever 100102.

The feed point is actuated to engage the work, then to relieve the pressure thereof on the work, and at the end of the feeding movement is raised above the work, by the actuation of the rock shaft 94 which in turn is actuated by a cam lever 116. The rock shaft is connected to .the cam lever 116 through an. arm 118 secured to the right; hand. end of the rock shaft, the free end of which arm is slotted or bifurcated to engage a pin 120 projecting laterally from the forward end of a cam lever 116. The pin 120 is elongated to permit the arm 118 to move with the feed slide 98. The cam lever 116 is fulcrumed at 122 on the frame of the ma chine and its rear end carries a cam roll which engages a cam groove 124 in a side of the cam disk 78. In Figure 3 the cam roll is shown in one of the positions in the cam groove 124 which it assumes during the feeding of the work. At the end of the feeding movement of the feed point, the cam roll is engaged by the rise 126 in the cam groove 124 which raises the feed point above the work; after the feed point is retracted by the feed slide 98, it is again forced into the work by a depression 128 in the cam groove; and before the start of the feeding operation the pressure of the feed point on the work is relieved and maintained relieved during the feeding operation by the outer wall of the cam groove being backed off and, as illustrated, the inner wall of the cam groove is provided with a slight rise 130 to retractthe feed point slightly at this time.

The illustrated machine is provided with mechanism for stopping the machine with the main shaft in a predetermined angular position. Such stop mechanism, however, is not illustrated in the accompanying drawings as it may be and preferably is the same as illustrated and described in said pending application to which reference may be had for a full and complete description of the same.

Vhen the machine is stopped it is desirable that the feed point shall be raised out of engagement with the work. To this end means is provided for swinging the bifurcated arm 118 downwardly which through the rock shaft 94 raises the feed point. In order that the cam actuated lever 116 may not interfere with such movement of the arm 118, the outer wall of the cam groove 124 is cut away at 132 which cut away portion, when the machine is stopped in a predetermined position as above described, is located adjacent the cam roll on the lever 116. The means for thus actuating the bifurcated arm 118 to raise the feed point is actuated by the control rod 21 hereinbefore referred to in connection with the thread cutting and holding device. The connection between the arm 11S and the control rod comprises a rearwardly curved vertical rod 134, the upper end of which is bent at right angles to engage an aperture in a lug 136 secured to the elongated pin 120 engaging the arm 118. The lower end of the curved rod 134 extends through an aperture in one end of a lever 1.38 fulcrumed on the frame of the machine. The upper side of the end of the lever 138 is engaged by a nut and washer 140 secured to the rod, and interposed between the under side of the end of the lever and a nut and washer threaded on the end of the rod is a spring 142 coiled about the rod. The other end of the lever is pivotally connected to the control rod 21. lVhen the control rod 21 is raised upon stopping the machine to throw into operation the thread cutting and holding device, the lever 138 acts through the spring 142 and curved rod 134 to swing the arm 118 downwardly. lVhen the control rod 21 is lowered upon starting the machine, the lever 138 raises the curved rod 134 to its initial position. The aperture in the-lug 136 is sufficiently large sov that during the normal operation of the machine the curved rod 13 will not interfere with the actuation of the feed point by means of the cam lever 116.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated, and a machine embodying the several features of the invention in their preferred form having been specifically described, what is claimed 1s:-

1. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in'combination, stitch forming devices, a feed point arranged to engage the shoe at the top of the between substance of the sole, and means to force the. feed point into the work, to. relieve the pressure of the feed point on the work, and to actuate the feed point to feed the Work while the pressure thereof is relieved.

2. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch torming devices, a feed point arranged to engage the shoe at the top of the between substance of the sole, and means to force the feed point into the work, to move relatively the feed point and work to relieve'the pressure of the feed point on the work, and to actuate the feed point to feed the work while the pressure thereof is relieved.

An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a feed point, and'means to force the feed point into the work, to move relatively the work and feed point to relieve the pressure of the feed point on the work, and to actuate the feed point to feed the work while the pressure thereof is relieved.

4. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a feed point, and means to force the feed point into the work, to withdraw the feed point slightly to relieve the pressure thereof on the work, and to actuate the feed point to feed the work while the pressure thereof is relieved.

5. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a feed point acting on the top of the between substance of the sole of the shoe substantially in the plane of the root of the channel, actuating mechanism for the feed point, a channel guide, means cooperating with the channel guide to hold the work, and means to retract the channel guide slightly preliminary to the feeding operation.

6. An inseam shoe sewing machine havin in combination, stitch forming devices, a slide, a feed point acting on the shoe at the top of the between substance of the sole pivotally mounted on the slide, and means for moving the feed point about its pivot to force the feed point into the work to relieve the pressure of the feed point on the work and to actuate said slide to feed the toy feed the work.

means acting automatically upon stopping work while the pressure of the teed point r on the work is relieved.

7. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination devices for guiding a lasted shoe, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a feed point, actuating mechanism for the feed point comprising a cam actuated lever, control rod, and connections between said rod and camv actuated lever to disengage the feed point from the work upon movement of said rod in one direction.

8. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a feed point, actuating mechanism for the feed point to force the feed point into the work, to relieve the pressure of the feed point on the work and to actuate the feed point to feed the work, and means connected with members of said actuating mechanism for the feed point to disengage-the feed point from the work upon stopping the machine.

9. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming: devices, a slide, a feed point, a holder for the feed point comprising a lever pivotallv mounted on the slide having one end provided with a slot and having the feed point mounted on its other end, means for moving said lever about its pivot to force the teed point into the work con'iprising a cam actuated lever and an elongatedpin projecting latealii from one end of the cam actuated lever engaging said slot in said lever carrying the feed point, and means to actuate the slide nation, stitch forming devices including a hooked needle, a looper, a thread finger,

10. A sewing machine havin in combithe machine to sever and hold the thread, and actuating mechanism for the thread tinger acting to position the thread linger close to the thread leading to said thread severing and holding means upon stopping the machine.

11. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a hooked needle, a looper. a thread fin means acting automatically upon stopping the machine to sever and hold the thread and to give up thread to the thread finger upon starting the machine, and actual: g mechanism for the thread finger acting to position the thread finger in close proximity 120 to the thread leading to said thread severing and holding means upon stopping the machine to insure that the thread finger will properly engage the thread at the start of the next cycle of operations of the machine.

12. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a hooked needle, a looper, a thread. finger hav ing an upwardly curved thread engaging end, and means acting automatically upon stopping the machine to sever and hold the thread, and actuating mechanism for the thread finger acting to position the thread finger with said curved end close to the thread leading to said thread severing and holding means upon stopping the machine.

13. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, devices for guiding a lasted shoe, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a feed point, and actuating mechanism for the feed point in eluding means operated on stopping the machine to move the feed point out oi engagement with the work, and operated on starting the machine to allow the feed point to engage the work.

14. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, devices for guiding a lasted shoe, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a feed point arranged to engage the top of the between substance of the shoe sole, and actuating mechanism for the feed point including means operated on stopping the machine to move the feed point out of engagement with the work.

15. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, devices for guiding a lasted shoe, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a feed point and actuating mechanism for the feed point including a control rod operated on stopping the machine to move the feed point out of engagement with the work.

ing a curved hook needle, a l'eed point, actuated mechanism for the feed point including a control rod operated on stopping the machine to move the feed point out of engagement with the work, and operated upon starting the machine to allow the feed point to engage the work.

17 An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a channel guide fixed in the direction of feed, a feed point arranged to engage the top of the between substance of the shoe sole, and means for moving the feed point in the direction of feed across the end of the channel guide.

18. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a channel guide fixed in the direction 01? feed, a feed point arranged to engage the top of the between substance of the shoe sole substantially in the plane of the root of the channel, means for moving the feed point in the direction of feed across the end the channel guide, and means for retracting the channel guide slightly preliminary to the feeding movement of the feed point.

19. An inseam shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming'devices. a channel guide fixed in the direction of feed, a feed point arranged to engage the top of the between substance of the shoe sole, means for moving the feed point in the direction of feed across the end of the channel guide, and means for retracting the channel guide slightly preliminary to the feed ing movement of the feed point.

ALFRED B. FOWLER. 

